Tag: Liverpool

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Haaland sends Man City to top; Liverpool beats nine-man Spurs

Erling Haaland fired Manchester City to the top of the Premier League by beating West Ham 3-0, while Liverpool continued their upturn with a 2-1 win at nine-man Tottenham on Saturday.

Arsenal can retake top spot for Christmas when they visit Everton later, but City ramped up the pressure on the Gunners with a seventh consecutive win in all competitions.

The Hammers feared a rout when Haaland smashed home after just five minutes.

Haaland turned provider for City’s second just before half-time as Tijjani Reijnders scored his first goal at the Etihad.

And he netted his 38th goal of the season already for club and country when the ball broke his way 21 minutes from time to move City one point ahead of Arsenal.

Yet, Pep Guardiola was still far from satisfied as he demanded improvements if City are to win a seventh Premier League title under his tenure.

“I want to be honest. I said to the players, ‘Merry Christmas everyone but it will not be enough if we don’t improve’.”

Liverpool extended their unbeaten run to six games after they survived a nervy finale to inflict a miserable Christmas on Spurs boss Thomas Frank.

Xavi Simons’ dangerous lunge on Dutch international team-mate Virgil van Dijk on 33 minutes left the home side with a mountain to climb.

Despite the absence of Mohamed Salah at the Africa Cup of Nations, Alexander Isak again started on the bench.

Arne Slot introduced the most expensive Premier League player of all time at the break.

The Swede netted just his third goal since joining Liverpool for £125 million in September but suffered another injury setback in the process and had to be replaced.

Hugo Ekitike headed in his fifth goal in three league games to double Liverpool’s lead.

But Slot’s men still wobbled in the closing stages once Richarlison pulled a goal back.

A fifth defeat in nine home league games this season intensified the pressure on Frank and the Dane was not helped by his captain Cristian Romero, who got himself needlessly sent off in stoppage time.

Liverpool climb up to fifth, while Spurs are rooted down in 13th.

Chelsea remain above the Reds in fourth on goal difference as a second-half fightback rescued manager Enzo Maresca from more speculation over his future.

The Italian claimed after last weekend’s win over Everton that he and his players had not received enough support during a difficult run of results.

Maresca was then linked with being Guardiola’s successor at City in recent days.

Chelsea have won just once in their last five league games to see ambitions of a title challenge wilt.

But it could have been even worse for Maresca as Nick Woltemade’s double put Newcastle 2-0 up in a dominant first half from the Magpies.

A brilliant Reece James free-kick brought the Blues back into the game before Joao Pedro pounced on an error from Malick Thiaw to equalise.

Newcastle felt aggrieved as two late appeals for penalties and for James to be sent off were dismissed to leave Eddie Howe’s men languishing in 11th.

Wolves remain without a league win this season and on course to enter the record books as the worst side in Premier League history.

Keane Lewis-Potter scored both goals as Brentford won 2-0 at Molineux to move 10 points clear of the relegation zone.

Burnley ended their seven-game losing streak as Armando Broja’s 90th-minute goal snatched a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth.

Sunderland edged up to sixth after a 0-0 draw at Brighton. (JapanToday)

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Liverpool ‘united as one’ after Salah return – Van Dijk

Captain Virgil van Dijk says Liverpool “are absolutely united and go forward as one” after Mohamed Salah returned to the squad for Saturday’s win over Brighton.

Salah came off the bench for his first Liverpool appearance since claiming after last weekend’s 3-3 draw with Leeds that he had been “thrown under the bus” by the club.

The 33-year-old was left out of the squad for the midweek Champions League win at Inter Milan, but returned for the Brighton game following talks with manager Arne Slot – and claimed an assist in the 2-0 win.

Salah joins up with the Egypt national team for the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) on Monday and could miss up to eight Liverpool games if his country go all the way to the final on 18 January.

“We showed this week that we are absolutely united. We go forward as one,” said Van Dijk, who made his 250th Premier League appearance for Liverpool on Saturday.

“Mo is going to Afcon and we all hope that he’ll be successful there and he’ll come back and be important for us for the rest of the season.

“The other side of it is that we all know football and we have no idea what is going to happen. I hope that he stays because he is one of my leaders and still very important for the football club. But there’s more parties to this situation.”

Van Dijk also praised Slot for how he handled the events of recent days, with Liverpool now unbeaten in five games since losing to PSV at Anfield in the Champions League.

“I think he has handled the situation very well – calm in his own way and it’s a very tricky situation,” said the Netherlands defender.

“There’s a lot of noise and pressure from the outside world and rightly so because we’ve not been up to the standard we’ve shown in the last few seasons.

“We’ve just got to keep going. He’s at a club which is very together and that’s how it has been before our time at the club, and that’s something we have to keep going.

“We go through the good times together, as a team, as a club and as a fanbase, but sometimes when the difficult moments arise we also have to stick together. This moment of time is a very good moment to see how everyone responds.” (BBC)

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Liverpool edges Inter in Champions League as Chelsea loses in Italy


Liverpool snatched a 1-0 win away to Inter Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday without unsettled star Mohamed Salah, while Chelsea slipped to defeat against Atalanta and Barcelona overcame Eintracht Frankfurt.

Dominik Szoboszlai scored a late penalty as Liverpool snapped Inter’s 18-game unbeaten home run in Europe despite the absence of Salah, who was left out of the squad after his extraordinary public criticism of manager Arne Slot.

Szoboszlai drilled his spot-kick past Yann Sommer two minutes from time at the San Siro after Alessandro Bastoni was punished for tugging the shirt of substitute Florian Wirtz, clinching a much-needed win for the troubled Premier League champions.

“Huge result. We knew we were coming to a tough place, to a team that’s in a good moment. We had to show fight and dig in,” Liverpool defender Andy Robertson told Amazon Prime.

A fourth victory in six Champions League games bumped Liverpool up into the top eight to keep them in the hunt for direct qualification to the last 16 as they contend with the fallout of Salah’s weekend outburst.

The Egyptian forward said he felt like he had been “thrown under the bus” by Liverpool during the club’s dip in form and no longer had a relationship with Slot.

“A tough situation. We’re talking about one of the greatest players to play for this club,” said Robertson. “Whatever has happened, happened. Internally, we’re all together.”

Chelsea lost 2-1 at Atalanta despite taking a first-half lead when Joao Pedro poked in a cross from Reece James.

Gianluca Scamacca headed Atalanta level after half-time and Charles De Ketelaere, who set up the equaliser, smashed in the winner for the Bergamo-based side on 83 minutes.

“We need to learn. We’re disappointed but we have to be focused on the next game,” Joao Pedro told TNT Sports.

“In the Champions League, if you concede one goal, and then another (soon), it is difficult to come back.”

Atalanta are third with 13 points, two adrift of leaders Arsenal and Bayern Munich, while Chelsea dropped down to 11th place.

Bayern came from behind to beat Sporting Lisbon 3-1 as they bounced back from a loss to Arsenal last month.

Hosts Bayern fell behind to a Joshua Kimmich own-goal in the second half but Serge Gnabry and 17-year-old Lennart Karl led the fightback.

Gnabry swept in a corner from close range to equalise and Karl fired Bayern ahead as he controlled a pass and shot past Sporting goalkeeper Rui Silva from a tight angle. Jonathan Tah bagged a third to seal the win.

Jules Kounde emerged as the unlikely hero for Barcelona as the France defender scored a pair of headers in a 2-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt.

Ansgar Knauff sent the visitors into a surprise lead but Kounde’s brace early in the second half swung the game in favour of Barcelona in their first Champions League match at Camp Nou since 2022.

“We wanted to start at the Camp Nou with a win, it was a tricky game,” Pedri told Movistar.

“We came back in the end, got the three points and we’re happy.”

Tottenham eased to a 3-0 home win against Slavia Prague courtesy of penalties from Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons after David Zima’s 26th-minute own-goal in north London.

Spurs climbed up to ninth and sit just a point behind Liverpool.

Mason Greenwood struck twice as Marseille held on to beat Union Saint-Gilloise 3-2 in Brussels, while Folarin Balogun scored the only goal as Monaco edged Galatasaray 1-0.

Atletico Madrid won 3-2 at PSV Eindhoven with goals from Julian Alvarez, David Hancko and Alexander Sorloth.

Olympiacos earned their first win of the competition as Gelson Martins was on target in a 1-0 victory away to Kairat Almaty, who have just one point in their debut campaign. (JapanToday)

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Salah a ‘‘disgrace’’ for Liverpool outburst – Carragher

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher labelled Mohamed Salah “a disgrace” on Monday after the Egypt star’s stunning outburst at Reds boss Arne Slot.

Salah said he had been “thrown under a bus” and had no relationship with Slot after he was left on the bench for last Saturday’s 3-3 draw at Leeds.

It was the third successive game that Salah had been kept out of the starting line-up by Slot amid the forward’s loss of form this season.

In response to Salah’s astonishing rant to reporters, Liverpool axed the 33-year-old from the squad for Tuesday’s Champions League clash at Inter Milan.

Speaking on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, Carragher, a 2005 Champions League winner with Liverpool, said: “I thought it was a disgrace what he did after the game.

“Some people have painted it as an emotional outburst. I don’t think it was. I think whenever Mo Salah stops in a mixed zone, which he has done four times in eight years at Liverpool, it’s choreographed with his agent to cause maximum damage and strengthen his own position.

“He’s chosen this weekend to do this now, and he’s waited I think for a bad result… everyone involved with the club (feeling) like they’re in the gutter, and he’s chosen that time to go for the manager and maybe try to get him sacked.”

Salah is a two-time Premier League champion with Liverpool and has also won the Champions League during his iconic eight-year spell at Anfield.

But, although he only signed a new contract in April, Salah hinted he might have played his last game for Liverpool as he prepares to jet off to the African Cup of Nations after their Premier League clash with Brighton at Anfield on Saturday.

Salah has been linked with a lucrative move to the Saudi Pro League and and Carragher added: “What he’s done off the pitch, I think the club have made the right decision in terms of him not going abroad. Whether he will play for Liverpool again, I don’t know.

“I hope he does, because he’s one of the greatest players we’ve ever had, but if you continue like that, and statements like that, if he doesn’t play, who knows.” (Guardian)

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Arsenal stunned late by Aston Villa; Man City closes gap and Liverpool draws

The Premier League title race was blown open after Aston Villa struck in stoppage time to beat Arsenal 2-1 on Saturday.

Emiliano Buendia scored at the death in a thrilling finish at Villa Park that stunned first-placed Arsenal.

The Gunners’ lead was cut to just two points after second-placed Manchester City beat Sunderland 3-0.

Villa was a point further back in third.

Liverpool’s troubled title defense stumbled again when it dropped more points at Leeds. Arne Slot’s team blew a two-goal lead and conceded in the sixth minute of added time at Elland Road in a 3-3 draw.

Chelsea dropped points for the third game in a row in a 0-0 draw at Bournemouth.

Buendia’s winner came in the fifth minute of added time. The substitute kept a cool head during a goalmouth scramble, lifting a shot through the crowded box.

“In the manner that happened at the end, (it is) really difficult to take,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta told TNT Sports.

It was the third consecutive time Arsenal dropped points away from home after draws with Sunderland and Chelsea. Those results have opened the door to rivals such as City and Villa.

Villa’s ninth win from its last 10 games followed a dire start to the campaign when Unai Emery’s team was winless after its first five.

“At the minute we’re on a great run,” said Matty Cash, who put Villa ahead in the 36th. “We know it’s not even Christmas yet so we have to keep being demanding, keep being consistent, and then we’ll see where it takes us.”

Leandro Trossard was a halftime substitute for Arsenal and he made a quick impact by leveling the game seven minutes later.

Buendia went on in the 87th and proved an inspired substitution.

“We fight until the last minute, the last second, it was a really incredible win,” he said.

Arsenal’s second loss of the season was its first since August at Liverpool.

“We are 18 games unbeaten, and yet still the margin is so small,” Arteta said. “The effort was absolutely there and (we must) use that pain to go again.”

Deep into stoppage time at Leeds, Liverpool was set to move into the top five.

That was until Ao Tanaka arrived at the far post from a corner to deny Slot’s team a much-needed win.

“The only ones to blame is us because we do concede these chances,” Slot told Sky Sports.

Liverpool was poised for just a third league win in 10 games when Hugo Ekitike scored twice in two minutes shortly after halftime. But Leeds responded with its own quickfire double when Dominic Calvert-Lewin converted from the penalty spot and Anton Stach leveled two minutes later.

Dominik Szoboszlai put the visitors in front again in the 80th but when the fourth official indicated nine minutes of added time the home crowd sensed another comeback and Tanaka delivered.

Mohamed Salah was on the bench for a third straight game and the Liverpool icon was an unused substitute. “We have to accept the situation we are in and I make my choices based on that,” Slot said.

Man City will be a familiar sight in Arsenal’s rearview mirror.

In back-to-back campaigns in 2023 and 2024 Arteta watched City chase his team down to win the titles. And it is shaping up to be another fight between them.

Even after four losses in the league, City is just two points behind Arsenal after victory against Sunderland.

“We had the feeling that Arsenal are going to drop few points and if you want to be there you have to win games and that comes from the way you perform — not just a lucky day or lucky action,” City manager Pep Guardiola said.

Ruben Dias, with a brilliant long-range goal, and Josko Gvardiol gave City a 2-0 lead at the break at Etihad Stadium and Phil Foden headed in a third in the second half.

Fourth-placed Chelsea has seen its title challenge stall over the past week after a run of just two points from a possible nine.

Not even the return of Cole Palmer to the starting lineup for the first time since September could inspire the Club World Cup champion at Bournemouth.

To add to a frustrating day, Liam Delap went off in the first half with a shoulder injury.

Bruno Guimaraes scored directly from a corner in Newcastle’s 2-1 win against Burnley.

The midfielder’s wicked cross curled beyond Burnley goalkeeper Martin Dubravka at St James’ Park. Anthony Gordon added a second from the penalty spot in first half stoppage time.

What should have been a comfortable win for Newcastle became nervy after Zian Flemming pulled a goal back with a stoppage time penalty and Burnley threatened an equalizer.

Tottenham got a long-awaited home win in the league after beating Brentford 2-0.

Spurs’ last win at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was the opening game of the season against newly promoted Burnley. That was followed by six straight winless games in front of its own fans. But that streak was broken by first half goals from Richarlison and Xavi Simons against coach Thomas Frank’s former team.

Everton moved up to fifth after downing Nottingham Forest 3-0. (JapanToday)

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Arsenal held by 10-man Chelsea; Isak sets up much-needed Liverpool win and Man United beats Palace

Mikel Merino salvaged a 1-1 draw for Arsenal at 10-man Chelsea as the race for the Premier League title tightened on Sunday.

Arsenal is five points clear of second-placed Manchester City, with Chelsea a point further back in third.

Mikel Arteta’s team was boosted late in the first half at Stamford Bridge when Moises Caicedo was sent off for a dangerous challenge on Merino. But despite being a man down Chelsea went ahead in the 48th minute through Trevoh Chalobah’s header.

Merino equalized in the 59th, but Arsenal couldn’t make its numerical advantage count and dropped points away from home for the second time in successive matches.

Arsenal beat Bayern Munich midweek in the Champions League and Arteta said it had been a positive week though accepted “we should’ve won the game (Sunday), and we haven’t. That’s a learning point for me.”

The result meant Man City was the big winner of the weekend, following Saturday’s late victory against Leeds, which saw Pep Guardiola’s team climb above Chelsea to second in the standings.

“I think that we showed that we are in the right direction,” Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca told Sky Sports. “We were a much, much better team than them when we were 11 v. 11. Then with 10 players it’s more difficult, but the way they dealt with that situation was outstanding.”

Liverpool got back to winning ways — beating West Ham 2-0 — and Manchester United rallied to a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace.

Aston Villa is fourth after a 1-0 win against last-placed Wolverhampton, and fifth-placed Brighton won 2-0 at Nottingham Forest.

Alexander Isak scored his first Premier League goal for Liverpool to set up a much-needed win for Arne Slot’s team.

On a day when Mohamed Salah was dropped to the bench, British record signing Isak opened the scoring at the London Stadium. Cody Gakpo got the second for Liverpool, which went into the match on a run of six losses in its last seven league games.

“I am aware that it has been a long time coming and I’ve been trying to get back to my best form,” Isak told Sky Sports. “I am still on the way but I am happy to have that goal.”

Isak, a $170 million signing from Newcastle in the summer, had not scored in his five league games for his new club and only had one goal in 10 games in all. But in the absence of Salah, the Sweden international converted with a first-time effort in the box after 60 minutes to open his Premier League account for the season.

Slot’s bold call to leave out the iconic Salah paid off after the Egypt international’s unconvincing form this season. Slot shook up his attack, with Florian Wirtz and Gakpo alongside Isak.

Isak’s clinical finish into the bottom corner put Liverpool in control and West Ham’s chances were dealt another blow when Lucas Paqueta was sent off in the 84th.

Gakpo converted in the second minute of added time to put the game beyond doubt.

“We have to use this win in a good way, but also be humble because we’ve had a tough time, so one win doesn’t necessarily mean we’re back,” said Isak.

Joshua Zirkzee ended a scoring drought of his own with his first league goal in almost a year.

The Dutch striker hadn’t scored in England’s top flight since a double against Everton on Dec. 1 last year, but ended that streak with a stunning strike at Selhurst Park.

A moment of individual brilliance fired United back into the game in the 54th after Jean-Philippe Mateta put Palace ahead from the penalty spot in the first half.

Collecting the ball in the box, Zirkzee spun and scored from a tight angle for only his eighth goal since joining United from Bologna last year and his first this season.

“Scoring is important but it’s not just the goals,” United coach Ruben Amorim said. “They give confidence but Joshua has also improved a lot in how he holds the ball. That should give him a lot of confidence.”

Mason Mount struck the winner from the edge of the box in the 63rd as United ended Palace’s 12-game unbeaten home run in the league.

Mateta had given Palace the lead with a twice-taken penalty in the 36th. The France international was adjudged to have double-kicked his original spot kick and was directed to retake as per the rule clarification that came in after Julian Alvarez’s accidental double touch in a shootout against Real Madrid last season helped to eliminate Atletico Madrid from the Champions League.

Villa’s Boubacar Kamara scored the only goal of the match to settle the Midlands derby against Wolves.

Wolves remains winless at the bottom of the table and nine points from safety.

Goals from Maxim De Cuyper and Stefanos Tzimas earned fifth-placed Brighton victory at Forest. (JapanToday)

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Liverpool stunned by Forest; Newcastle damages Man City title push

Troubled Liverpool’s woeful season hit a new low with a shocking 3-0 home defeat against Nottingham Forest, while Newcastle dented Manchester City’s Premier League title challenge as Harvey Barnes’ brace sealed a controversial 2-1 victory on Saturday.

The spluttering champions fell behind in the 33rd minute when Murillo’s fierce strike punished their failure to deal with Elliot Anderson’s corner.

Reds boss Arne Slot was fuming that the goal was allowed despite Forest’s Dan Ndoye appearing to obstruct Liverpool keeper Alisson Becker — an offense that led Virgil van Dijk’s equaliser to be disallowed in the 3-0 loss at Manchester City before the international break.

Sean Dyche’s side doubled their lead after 46 minutes when Nicolo Savona slotted home from Neco Williams’ cut-back.

With Liverpool’s defense in disarray, Morgan Gibbs-White scored Forest’s third from the rebound after Omari Hutchinson’s shot was saved in the 78th minute.

Beaten by Forest at Anfield for a second successive season, Liverpool have lost eight of their last 11 games in all competitions, including six of their last seven in the top flight.

It is the first time Liverpool have lost consecutive league games by a three-goal margin since 1965.

Once again Liverpool were devoid of inspiration and energy in another lethargic display that left them languishing in 11th place, eight points behind leaders Arsenal.

Liverpool’s stunning decline comes after a summer spending spree of over £400 million ($523 million).

Alexander Isak was hauled off in the second half of his fourth league start for Liverpool following a British record move from Newcastle that has failed to live up to the hype.

Sweden striker Isak has yet to score for the Reds in the top flight.

“Another big disappointment. We started off quite well but we conceded the 1-0 and weren’t able to play the way we did in the first half hour,” Slot said.

“If things go well or things go bad, it’s my responsibility. We weren’t able to create enough. I tried to adjust a few things, but it didn’t work out. We are in a very bad spell.”

At St James’ Park, Manchester City trailed to Barnes’ 63rd-minute drive from the edge of the area before Ruben Dias equalised with a deflected strike five minutes later.

Two minutes after Dias leveled, Barnes bagged Newcastle’s contentious second goal with a fierce volley, which was allowed to stand after a lengthy VAR check for a potential offside against Bruno Guimaraes, whose header had cannoned back off the bar.

Guardiola was also aggrieved over a rejected first-half penalty claim by Phil Foden.

City’s fourth league defeat this season left them in third place, four points behind Arsenal, who host Tottenham on Sunday.

Guardiola stormed onto the pitch at full-time to confront referee Sam Barrott, but later insisted “everything is fine” when asked about the incident.

“It happened in the Bournemouth game and it happened today again. It is what it is after VAR decided. They know perfectly,” he said of Newcastle’s second goal.

“It was entertaining game, we both had chances and then there was a momentum shift and ultimately we couldn’t win.”

Chelsea moved up to second place with a 2-0 win at Burnley.

Pedro Neto’s diving header put Chelsea ahead just before the interval and Enzo Fernandez netted in the closing stages.

Enzo Maresca’s side, who sit three points behind Arsenal, have won eight of their last 10 matches in all competitions, making it a memorable 50th Premier League game in charge for the Italian.

It was the ideal warm-up for Chelsea ahead of a crucial week featuring home games against Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday and Arsenal in the Premier League on November 30.

New Wolves manager Rob Edwards suffered a 2-0 debut defeat against fourth-placed Crystal Palace at Molineux.

Brighton came from behind to defeat Brentford 2-1 at the Amex Stadium.

Raul Jimenez’s 84th-minute goal gave Fulham a 1-0 victory against Sunderland at Craven Cottage.

West Ham blew a two-goal lead in their 2-2 draw at Bournemouth. (JapanToday)

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Man City crushes Liverpool 3-0 in Pep Guardiola’s 1,000th game

In his 1,000th game as a manager, Pep Guardiola celebrated victory as if it was his first.

Manchester City’s 3-0 triumph over Liverpool on Sunday was win No. 716 for Guardiola and likely one of the most satisfying of his trophy-laden career.

Not only did City totally dominate the defending Premier League champion and one of Guardiola’s fiercest rivals in a career spanning Spain, Germany and England – but the result firmly established his team as a genuine contender for the title this season.

“Thank you to the players and staff for giving me that incredible present (against) the most important opponent in my time here by far,” the City manager said afterward.

City moved up to second in the standings – just four points behind leader Arsenal, with a well-established record when it comes to chasing down Mikel Arteta’s team. It happened in back-to-back seasons in 2023 and 2024 and City’s momentum has an ominous feel about it after taking advantage of Arsenal’s surprise 2-2 draw with Sunderland on Saturday.

“In October, November, you don’t win the Premier League. Teams that win the Premier League (are the ones) where everyone in the team is growing. When it grows and grows, you arrive at the end fighting for the title,” Guardiola said. “I have the feeling that we are in that way.”

By contrast, Liverpool, which was the runaway champion just six months ago, is slipping further adrift.

This was a fifth loss in six games after spending more than $400 million in the offseason. The Merseyside club is down to eighth in the standings and eight points off the top.

No wonder Arne, who was mocked by City fans chanting he would be fired in the morning, was in no mood to talk about the title.

“Last season when we were eight points clear it never felt like it was won already,” he said. “At this period of time, as Liverpool manager, I shouldn’t be talking about the top position because our performance needs to be better.”

There is no suggestion that Slot’s position is under any threat, but Liverpool’s form will be a source of concern. So complete was City’s superiority that Liverpool’s morale-boosting win against Real Madrid in the week was put into perspective.

A 3-0 win could easily have been bigger, with Erling Haaland seeing a 13th-minute penalty saved before he headed City in front in the 29th.

Nico Gonzalez doubled the lead when his shot deflected off Virgil van Dijk in first-half stoppage time.

Player of the match Jeremy Doku had tormented Liverpool throughout and he got a deserved goal in the 63rd when whipping in a curled effort from outside the box.

Newcastle fell to back-to-back defeats in the Premier League, losing 3-1 at Brentford.

Having lost to West Ham by the same score a week earlier, Eddie Howe’s team once again took an early lead only to squander the points.

Harvey Barnes fired the visitors ahead at the Gtech Community Stadium, but Newcastle was stunned by a second-half fightback from Brentford and ended the match with 10 men after Dan Burn was sent off.

Kevin Schade leveled in the 56th, following Barnes’ goal in the 27th.

Burn was sent off when bringing down Dango Ouattara in the box and Igor Thiago converted from the spot.

Thiago got his second in stoppage time to seal the win, which left Newcastle 14th in the standings and just two points above the relegation zone.

Sean Dyche got his first league win as Nottingham Forest coach after his team rallied to beat Leeds 3-1 at the City Ground.

Victory came after last week’s 2-2 draw with Manchester United and moved second-from-bottom Forest to within a point of safety.

Lukas Nmecha put Leeds ahead in the 13th minute, but Ibrahim Sangare equalized two minutes later. Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson – from the penalty spot – completed the comeback after the break.

Aston Villa quickly bounced back from defeat to Liverpool last week by routing Bournemouth 4-0.

Villa endured a desperate start to the season – failing to win any of its first six games in all competitions. But Unai Emery’s team has powered back impressively by winning eight of its last 10.

Emiliano Buendia, Amadou Onana, Ross Barkley and Donyell Malen all scored, while goalkeeper Emi Martinez denied Antoine Semenyo from the spot as Villa moved up to sixth in the standings.

Crystal Palace and Brighton drew 0-0 at Selhurst Park. (JapanToday)

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Arsenal winning run ends in Sunderland draw; De Ligt rescues Man Utd

Arsenal’s 10-game winning run came to an end as Brian Brobbey’s last-gasp goal gave Sunderland a dramatic 2-2 draw against the Premier League leaders, while Manchester United rescued a 2-2 draw at Tottenham on Saturday.

Former Arsenal defender Dan Ballard fired Sunderland ahead with a powerful finish in the 36th minute at the Stadium of Light.

That ended the Gunners’ run of eight consecutive clean sheets in all competitions.

Bukayo Saka levelled with a composed finish in the 54th minute before, Leandro Trossard smashed Arsenal into the lead from the edge of the Sunderland area in the 76th minute.

Arsenal were within touching distance of an 11th successive victory in all competitions, but Brobbey stabbed home from Ballard’s header to earn a point in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

It was the first time they had failed to win in any competition since a 1-1 draw with Manchester City in the top flight on September 21.

“We conceded two similar goals, which is not good enough for ourselves,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said.

“But it’s true that we showed an incredible resilience and courage to come back. Even at the end after we conceded the goal we had a massive chance to win it.”

As they chase a first English title since 2004, Arsenal hold a seven-point lead at the top.

But second-placed City would close the gap on Arsenal to four points if they beat champions Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

Liverpool can move within five points of Arsenal if they defeat City.

At the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Bryan Mbeumo fired United ahead in the 32nd minute amid mounting discontent among home fans.

Booed off at half-time, Tottenham hit back and looked to have secured a dramatic victory after Mathys Tel equalised in the 84th minute and Richarlison deflected in a shot from Wilson Odobert in the 91st minute.

But United defender Matthijs de Ligt powered in a 96th-minute header to extend his side’s unbeaten run to five games.

Tottenham’s failure to hold onto the lead was another blow to their dismal record in home league games in 2025, which includes only one win in six top-flight matches in north London this term.

Neither manager was satisfied with the outcome and United boss Ruben Amorim said: “We have so much to grow as a team because today was our day to win. If we have a little bit more bravery, we can kill this game.”

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank added: “A lot of things we could have done a bit better. The last goal is all about the urgency, maybe don’t give the cross away and defend better.”

Seventh-placed United have now failed to beat fourth-placed Tottenham in eight meetings, including a 1-0 defeat in the Europa League final in May.

West Ham boosted their bid to avoid relegation with a 3-2 win against fellow strugglers Burnley at the London Stadium.

Burnley took the lead in the 35th minute when Lesley Ugochukwu’s cross reached Zian Flemming and the Dutch forward headed home from close range.

Callum Wilson hauled West Ham level with a predatory finish from the rebound after Crysencio Summerville’s shot was saved in the 44th minute.

Tomas Soucek netted for West Ham in the 77th minute, the Czech midfielder bundling in from close range after Lucas Paqueta’s cross was parried into his path by Burnley keeper Martin Dubravka.

And, when Dubravka fumbled the ball towards Kyle Walker-Peters in the 87th minute, the defender’s clinical finish put the result beyond doubt.

Josh Cullen’s stoppage-time strike was no consolation for Burnley.

Third-bottom West Ham’s second successive win moved them level on points with fourth-bottom Burnley.

Everton ended a three-game winless run with a 2-0 victory over Fulham at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane were the scorers for David Moyes’ men.

Chelsea quelled criticism of Enzo Maresca’s rotation policy with a 3-0 win against Wolves featuring the first goal of Malo Gusto’s career on Saturday.

Former Manchester United star Wayne Rooney said Chelsea’s senior players should “question” Maresca’s selections after the Italian made seven changes for a 2-2 draw against Azerbaijani minnows Qarabag in the Champions League on Wednesday. (JapanToday)

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Liverpool down Real Madrid in Champions League; Bayern edge PSG

Alexis Mac Allister scored the only goal as Liverpool beat Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday, while Luis Diaz grabbed a brace as Bayern Munich sunk title-holders Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 in the French capital.

Premier League leaders Arsenal won 3-0 at Slavia Prague as rising star Max Dowman came off the bench to become the youngest player in the competition’s history, at just 15 years and 308 days old.

Leaders Bayern and second-placed Arsenal remain the only teams with a perfect record in the competition — alongside Inter Milan, who play their fourth match on Wednesday against Kazakh newcomers Kairat Almaty.

At Anfield, Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois produced a stellar performance to frustrate six-time champions Liverpool.

In a performance reminiscent of his match-defining display in the 2022 final against the same opposition — which the Spaniards won 1-0 — Courtois produced eight saves to keep back the hosts.

“He is a fantastic ‘keeper — we all know,” Mac Allister told Amazon Prime. “But today I think we were better and deserved to win.”

The Argentinian eventually broke Courtois’ resistance shortly after the hour with a header from a Dominik Szoboszlai free-kick in an encounter which saw former Liverpool hero Trent Alexander-Arnold return to his hometown amid a hail of boos when he emerged from the Madrid bench late on.

Arne Slot will be hoping the result marks a turning point for his side after they had come into the match with six defeats in their previous eight outings.

For previously unbeaten Madrid, it was first defeat in any competition since September’s 5-2 reversal at Atletico Madrid.

“It’s a tough blow to take because we came from a run of good games, but the important thing is to move forwards,” Real’s Fede Valverde told Movistar.

PSG welcomed Bayern to the Parc des Princes for a fixture which midfielder Vitinha had said would bring together “the two best teams in Europe”.

And it was the Bundesliga champions who emerged victorious as they made it 16 wins from 16 outings in all competitions this season.

“I know the Champions League winner is not decided now, otherwise PSG would not have won it last season,” Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said.

“But this was a very important three points.”

Summer signing Diaz claimed the headlines as he netted a brace before being sent off for a dangerous tackle on Achraf Hakimi, all in the opening 45 minutes.

Hakimi had to be helped from the field in tears, following recent Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele who came off after just 25 minutes.

Bayern took the lead inside five minutes and then overwhelmed PSG’s usually unflappable midfield and defence with their intense pressing game.

Diaz grabbed a second when he robbed Marquinhos of possession and slotted home after the half-hour.

His dismissal then changed the game as PSG fought back in the second period but Joao Neves’ 74th-minute header was not enough to stop the Ligue 1 champions falling to a first defeat in this year’s league phase.

Bayern, on the other hand, sit top with a perfect 12 points.

Arsenal lie just behind them after a Mikel Merino-inspired win in the Czech Republic earned them a fourth win from four.

The Spaniard netted twice in the second period to seal victory against Slavia Prague, after Bukayo Saka opened the scoring from 12 yards in the 32nd minute.

Another clean sheet meant Mikel Arteta’s side are still yet to concede in the competition this year.

“We are a very strong team, we are performing in an amazing way with a lot of clean sheets,” Merino said.

“But we know that this is just the beginning and we have to keep up this good work in the future to win big things.”

Elsewhere, Micky van de Ven scored a stunning solo effort as Europa League winners Tottenham won 4-0 at home to FC Copenhagen.

Atletico Madrid got back to winning ways following a heavy defeat to Arsenal last time out by seeing off Belgium’s Union Saint-Gilloise 3-1.

Serie A sides Napoli and Juventus both endured frustrating draws as the league champions played out a goalless stalemate at home to Eintracht Frankfurt and Sporting Lisbon held Juventus 1-1 — the Old Lady’s third draw so far this campaign.

Monaco earned a first win, 1-0 at debutants Bodo/Glimt of Norway, and PSV Eindhoven drew 1-1 at Olympiacos.

On Wednesday, Inter Milan will seek to rejoin Bayern and Arsenal atop the standings, while Manchester City host Borussia Dortmund and Athletic Bilbao travel to Newcastle’s St James’ Park. (JapanToday)